Hannah and Chad Janis are traveling the world for free thanks to their credit cards.
Courtesy of Hannah and Chad Janis

Hannah and Chad Janis have shared a love of adventure since they met while attending Brigham Young University. So after a brief stint in New York City working in finance, they decided quit their jobs and travel the world — for free.

Thanks to 42 credit cards that helped them earn 2 million points in one year, they've visited 18 countries (with many more on their itinerary) and saved a total of $62,000 on travel expenses.

But they're not keeping their strategies to themselves. Chad designed an app called Wall Street Minimalist to help people track credit card rewards and find the best ways to score free flights. You can also follow their adventures on Instagram and YouTube as well as their website, Hannah and Chad.

Chad Janis spoke to INSIDER about their tried-and-true travel hacks that have earned them free trips.

Keep track of your credit score.

A credit score is calculated according to five factors: payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, total accounts and credit mix, and new credit and credit inquiries.

A good credit score is crucial to successfully apply for new cards and reap new rewards. Janis recommends using Credit Karma to monitor this number.

"You can't do anything or get more cards without that," he said.

Plan ahead to make the most out of miles and rewards.

Hannah and Chad Janis in Switzerland.
Courtesy of Hannah and Chad Janis

Having thousands of miles on a domestic airline won't help you if you decide that you want to take a trip overseas. If there's somewhere you've always wanted to visit, choose a credit card with rewards, points, or miles that will help you get there.

"Know ahead of time where you want to go and get cards that transfer to those places," he said.

Avoid paying annual fees.

Avoid annual fees.
Courtesy of Hannah and Chad Janis

If you have multiple credit cards with annual fees, that money adds up.

Janis and his wife have only ever paid one annual fee for their main credit card, Chase Sapphire Reserve. He's found that most credit card companies will offer to waive the annual fee if you call them and say you want to cancel the card.

"Someone on the phone once said 'Hey look out the window — that's your annual fee running down the street,'" he said.

Take advantage of airline loyalty programs.

Airline loyalty programs can save you thousands of dollars in flight costs.

For example, the Southwest Companion Pass allows the holder to bring one companion on flights for free — that essentially cuts the cost of every flight you take with a friend or partner in half.

Getting the pass requires earning 110,000 points in one year, but you don't necessarily have to spend $110,000 in a year to get the pass. At one point, it was possible to open other Southwest credit cards with 60,000-point signup bonuses, instantly earning 120,000 points (the offer has since expired).

Embrace minimalism.

Travel light.
Courtesy of Hannah and Chad Janis

The Janises don't own a TV or a dining room table. They carefully plan their purchases in order to maximize rewards and try to avoid spending money on things that don't help get them closer to another free trip.

Not having lots of possessions to pack up also makes traveling the world that much easier.

Janis says that "travel hacking is kind of convoluted," but keeping track of all of the cards (and their terms and conditions) is key. He designed an app that tracks rates and gives alerts for anniversary dates of credit cards, among other tools. Other travel hackers use spreadsheets.

Start small.

Start with one trip.
Courtesy of Hannah and Chad Janis

If you're new to travel hacking, you don't have to go out and open dozens of credit cards. Start small while you learn the ins and outs.